Green Plantain Curry or Kaach Kolar Kofta
On July 23, 2013 by Meghalee Das
Green Plantain Curry or Kaach Kolar Kofta is a delicious as well as nutritious dish. Here we make small balls out of boiled and mashed plantains and potatoes, shallow fry them and cook them in a simple gravy. The koftas or the fried balls are very tasty by themselves too. Whenever I make any kofta curry, I always save a few for later so that I can have them with some chutney or ketchup. This recipe makes 18 kofta balls and I kept aside 5 or 6 to be eaten as a snack. Do not add a lot of potatoes because we want to maintain the flavor of the plantain and so that they don’t taste like aloo tikkis.
Plantains are a good source of potassium, fiber, iron and vitamins. among many other nutrients. They are often used in Indian and also Caribbean cuisine. When green plantains start to ripen and turn yellow, they become sweet. The yellow ones can also be used in a variety of both sweet and savory dishes, although I prefer the meatier texture of a green plantain. You can also make chips out of these by deep frying thin slices with salt and turmeric, popularly known as Banana Chips in South India.
Ingredients:
For Koftas:
Green plantain: 3
Potato: 1 large
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Ajwain or carom seeds: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Flour: 1 tbsp
Garam masala: 1 tbsp
Refined oil: 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
Water: 1 tbsp (optional)
For gravy:
Oil: 4 tbsp (for frying the koftas and the gravy)
Dried red chillies: 1
Paach foron: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf: 1
Slit green chillies: 2
Chopped onions: 1 large (or paste)
Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Chopped tomato: 1
Cumin powder: 1 tbsp
Garam masala: 1 tbsp
Coriander powder: 1/ tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tbsp
Sugar: 1/4 tsp
Water: 4 cups
Chopped coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Cut the green plantain in half and boil them with the potatoes. Once they turn soft, it is easy to take off the plantain peel.
2. Mash the boiled potato and green plantain together and add all the ingredients mentioned in the first list. Make small, flat balls and keep them in the fridge for 10 minutes so that they become a little hard.
4. Shallow fry (or deep fry according to preference) the koftas or balls till the exterior becomes brown and crispy. Keep aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan and temper it with dried red chillies, paach foron, cumin seeds and bay leaf. Once they start to splutter, add onions, chillies, ginger, garlic paste. Saute for a few minutes and add the tomatoes, salt, spices (cumin, garam masala, coriander, turmeric) and sugar.
6. Now add water, coriander leaves, cover it and let it simmer for around 7 min or till the water reduces to half. Gently drop the fried koftas and again let it simmer for 5 more minutes or till the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Don’t cook it for too long or else the koftas will start breaking.
Serve green plantain curry or kaach kolar kofta with hot white rice and some clarified butter or ghee.
- Green plantain: 3
- Potato: 1 large
- Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Ajwain or carom seeds: ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Flour: 1 tbsp
- Garam masala: 1 tbsp
- Refined oil: 1 tbsp
- Chopped coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
- Water: 1 tbsp (optional)
- Oil: 4 tbsp (for frying the koftas and the gravy)
- Dried red chillies: 1
- Paach foron: ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
- Bay leaf: 1
- Slit green chillies: 2
- Chopped onions: 1 large (or paste)
- Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste: 1 tsp
- Chopped tomato: 1
- Cumin powder: 1 tbsp
- Garam masala: 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder: 1/ tbsp
- Turmeric powder: ½ tbsp
- Sugar: ¼ tsp
- Water: 4 cups
- Chopped coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Cut the green plantain in half and boil them with the potatoes. Mash the boiled potato and green plantain together and add all the ingredients mentioned in the first list. Make small balls.
- Shallow fry the koftas or balls till the exterior becomes brown and crispy. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and temper it with dried red chillies, paach foron, cumin seeds and bay leaf. Once they start to splutter, add onions, chillies, ginger, garlic paste. Saute for a few minutes and add the tomatoes, salt, spices (cumin, garam masala, coriander, turmeric) and sugar.
- Now add water, coriander leaves, cover it and let it simmer for around 7 min or till the water reduces to half.
- Gently drop the fried koftas and again let it simmer for 5 more minutes or till the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Don't overcook it or else the koftas will start breaking.
- Serve with hot white rice and clarified butter or ghee.
